Monday, September 5, 2016

Weekly Recap: 15-Aug to 21-Aug-2016: Floridian Sendoff

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 5
Ramapo Reservation, Northern New Jersey. Overnight break on our way to Florida. Had fun on this run with lots of technical hill climbs (900'+ of elevation). Unfortunately, had to take lots of breaks as we got lost frequently, but still worth it. Cooled off in stream at end of run.

Partial lookout after a long technical climb.

Wednesday: 7
Clearwater Beach, FL. Very humid run late afternoon heading south into Sand Key Park. Had to stop a number of times to regain my composure. Pouring rain and thunderstorm on way back.

Sand Key Park

"The Last Supper". Four of us went to a seafood buffet.
Delicious dinner. Topped it off with the frozen mudslide at right.

Thursday: 13
Double run. 7 miles in AM on a barefoot beach run. Stopped numerous time to jump into the Gulf of Mexico.
6 miles in the evening on roads and bridges. Found myself with the need to stop and catch my breath again, in the very humid weather.

Sunset at Clearwater Beach

Friday: 0
Dropped Mark off at University of South Florida yesterday. I could either go for a run, or get up and leave pre-sunrise to pick him up from USF and bring him back for breakfast and a morning of kayaking and swimming at the resort we're staying. I opted for the latter.

Neat pool

Getting in some kayaking

The morning went by quickly, and it was odd to say our good-byes as he went off to an Honors Luncheon and the rest of us headed for the long Auto Train northbound.
Four of us went down to Florida; three came back. Happy for him and proud, but as much as going off to a college is a normal rite of passage, it's a little sad as well.

USF: Very impressive campus

The Volvo made it to Florida.
Unloading Mark and his supplies.

Mark's dorm room.
Mom made his bed for the last time in a while, while
I got his TV setup and connected.

Mark wheeling his stuff to his dorm at Juniper Hall.
And, in the blink of an eye (18 years), my son is grown up and on his own.
Sigh ...

Saturday: 5
Brandywine Creek State Park, Delaware. My first ever run in the First State. Hot 87-degree run, but somehow after even hotter runs in Florida and this being in shaded woods, it didn't feel so bad. Cool off in a local stream at finish.

Sunday: 5
Rhode Warrior Sprint Triathlon. Brief write-up to follow.

Weekly mileage: 35

Weekly synopsis:
Mileage a little light, but given all the travel and send-off for Mark, I suppose 35 isn't too bad. Onward and upward.

The sunset on Clearwater beach was beautiful. I haven't been there in years... I got all choked up with Mark wheeling his bag away from the camera, then I read your caption. Crap, way to go making crispy ovaries sad... Best wishes to Mark!